


I'd Like To Believe In All The Possibilities

by acindra



Category: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: 1/ 3 fluff 1/ 3 angst 1/3 cake, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Teacher-Student Relationship, because screw love triangles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 07:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5904844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acindra/pseuds/acindra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Synne has a problem hiding when she's attracted to people. Merrill wants to bake a cake. Solas is a bit of a dick. It all works out in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'd Like To Believe In All The Possibilities

 

It was the first official day of classes and Synne Lavellan was stuck behind the main library counter, assisting new students in finding their way around the building and processing books being checked out. This had been the norm for the past couple of days as the fall semester loomed upon them and she was glad for the routine.

 

Still, she was excited for the addition of classes- especially since Solas was teaching the only class she had today. She supposed she’d have to get used to calling him Professor in class, but the image of the bald elf in a long sweater, discussing card game strategies whilst drinking, did not lend itself to the title.

 

There was a lull in library patrons needing help and she busied herself by tidying her workspace, though it was not out of order. 

 

Cole, who was at the computer next to her, nudged her gently with his elbow and she looked up to see Solas enter the library, dressed in a dark charcoal suit with a deep burgundy tie. It was clearly tailored- she couldn’t imagine a suit that well-fitted would come cheap either.

 

She could feel the tips of her ears flush as he noticed her staring, or at least noticed her, and made a beeline towards her counter. She turned to Cole with wide eyes but he just hummed and scootched his chair more towards his computer- conveniently further away from her.

 

She noted this betrayal for later when he would inevitably come asking for a whisk or a thumbtack or whatever other weird items he would beg of her. Or perhaps she would not share her gummy sweets with him later during their break.

 

“Synne, Cole, good morning.” Solas greeted them as he reached her section of their counter, and Synne’s gaze snapped back to the suit, noting the burgundy pinstripes that matched his tie, before quickly moving to look him properly in the eyes.

 

“Good morning, er, professor.” Synne said, keenly aware of her ears burning still and trying to keep her smile non-forced. “You look nice today! Not that you don’t look nice every day. You  _ do _ look nice today, as well, though.” She cringed, aware she was babbling. “Can I help you with anything?” 

 

“Thank you.” he told her, kindly, “I appreciate the compliment. As for what you can... do for me,” he cleared his throat and the breath caught in hers, “I would like to turn in this book,” he removed said book from his suitcase “for the students who cannot afford the textbook for my class and would like to refer to a copy here in the library.”

 

“I can do that.” She said, matter-of-factly. She was slightly giddy that she knew the process for having the book available to students but not permitted to be checked out of the library already. 

 

She reached for the book but Solas pulled it back slightly.

 

“Are you alright, Synne? Your ears are red, have you caught an illness?” he asked with concern.

 

She wanted to sink down and be eaten by the ground. 

 

He noticed. Of course he noticed. Everyone within the vicinity would probably notice that her ears had turned cherry red.

 

“Nope, I’m perfectly fine- fit as a fiddle and ready to go” she replied, trying to keep levity in her voice. 

 

Solas frowned, but slid the book across the counter to her nonetheless.

 

As she processed the book she thanked all of the gods she could think of, that she could look at literally anything but him for a precious few moments, lest she make a fool of herself.

 

To say she didn’t know why she was being so awkward would be a lie. She was all shades of aesthetically attracted to people in well tailored suits, and of course she had been fond of him since they had literally bumped into each other leaving their apartments earlier that summer. But normally she saw especially aesthetically pleasing people behind the screen of her laptop, not two feet in front of her. And they’d never been her friend. Or her professor.

 

She’d have to think on that later, she supposed. Normally she was so collected, too. Alas. 

 

She took a breath as she finished his request. “Alright, it’s all set up.” She looked up and immediately regretted it as she felt her ears flush again. “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

 

His expression was very serious as his eyes looked over her face. “You can visit my office after class; it’s my last one for the day and you’ve said it was your only class today. I don’t feel comfortable letting you walk all the way home when you might be ill.”

 

“But I’m not sick! I promise, I’m perfectly fine. I’ve been fine all day! Ask Cole, he can tell you!” 

 

They both looked at Cole who blinked at them owlishly. “She needs, but won’t allow herself.”

 

“COLE!” She glared at the boy who was smiling awkwardly at Solas, paying her no mind. Then she realized everyone within earshot of her shout had turned to look at her and she sunk back down in her chair.

 

She was  _ definitely _ not sharing her gummy sweets with him during break.

 

“After class, then.” Solas told her, and she could see the glint of smugness in his eye as he turned and walked out of the library.

 

She hated that she watched his every step like a desperately horny teenager. But damn did that suit do wonders showing off his backside.

 

Once he had been gone a few seconds she turned back to Cole. “How could you, Cole. I  _ trusted _ you.” she hissed.

 

Cole gave her a sad smile. “She wants but will not take. She wants the cake and to eat it, too. She thinks it is too much but she deserves even more. She helps and helps and helps. I want to help, too.”

 

She sighed, trying to keep hold of the anger that was quickly slipping through her grasp. “What am I going to do with you, kid?”

 

Cole smiled properly this time. “I asked the crows to bring you a gift.”

 

Her puzzled expression deepened as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She unlocked the screen to see several messages from Leliana, consisting of a variety of pictures of Solas in his suit. Even as she slid down further in her seat to hide her embarrassment, a small part of her was impressed that he managed to look like a model when they were clearly candid shots from a variety of phones.

 

She was loathe to admit it but she was suddenly extremely grateful to whatever underground system Leliana was the head of. 

 

“Fen’harel take me.” she muttered as she flipped through the pictures.

 

Cole would be getting some of her gummy sweets after all.

 

-

 

Class was hell.

 

Synne thanked her lucky stars that it was only the first day; they only went over the syllabus and code of conduct in class. She found her eyes wandering away from the paper handout more often than not, watching the animation in Solas’ teaching style. 

 

He caught her staring once and smiled slightly as he reiterated the fact that cell phones  _ must _ be put on silent, not vibrate.

 

Afterwards, she wandered over to his office while he was caught up with a few students asking for clarifications. 

 

It wasn’t far, only a building over. 

 

She savored the wind ruffling her hair and cooling her face and ears- she had been blushing on and off all day. As she pulled open the door to the building she remembered that she was shortly going to be in close quarters with Solas for the 5 minute drive it would take to get to their apartment complex. She rubbed her ears as she felt herself blush again, muttering “traitors” at them and avoiding the look the receptionist of the building gave her for talking to herself.

 

She ducked into Solas’ office, noting that it was essentially the same as the main room of his apartment, but woefully less colourful. There were several bookcases stacked with books, and peculiar artifacts sat on some of the shelves and his desk. She’d bet money they were ancient elvhen- or at least less expensive replicas. She doubted he would keep anything truly valuable in here where they could easily be stolen by someone.

 

There was a ridged orb on his desk that drew her attention after a while of looking around. She reached out to caress its surface when-

 

“Wait, that’s sharp!”

 

-she cut her finger on one of the the ridges.

 

Synne swore and quickly put her finger in her mouth to stem the bleeding, turning baleful eyes on Solas, who sighed and rifled through his desk drawer for a bandage. “You should put a sign on that.” She lamented.

 

Solas gave her a pointed look as well as the bandage he had found. “Most students don’t go about touching their professors’ personal possessions.”

 

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Most professors don’t leave lethal orbs out on their  _ desks  _ for any random person to cut off an arm with.”

 

“Don’t be so melodramatic, it’s nothing more than a papercut.”

 

“It  _ stings. _ ” She insisted.

 

Solas rolled his eyes. “Would you like me to kiss it better?”

 

There was an awkward beat of silence.

 

“Maybe I do!”

 

Another awkward beat of silence before Solas shook his head at her. “I’d give you… what do children refer to them as? Cooties?”

 

Synne mock-gasped. “Oh no, not the dreaded cooties!”

 

Solas smirked and wiggled his fingers at her. “Indeed.”

 

She laughed.

 

Solas began packing his things so Synne glanced around again for lack of a better thing to do.

 

“It’s so weird to see a space of yours without your murals.” She told him.

 

He sighed. “Though it hasn’t happened to me yet, the school board is able to change around where our offices are as they will. They will not allow me to paint the walls, but I imagine it is for the best. If students are distracted easily enough by my artifacts,” he explained, nodding at the orb on his desk, “I’d never get them to focus with murals around them.”

 

She smiled ruefully at him.

 

He picked up his suitcase and opened the door for her. “Shall we?”

 

“I’m really not sick, you know.” Synne told him as they made their way out of the building and towards the parking lot. “I was just, er, embarrassed.”

 

“Oh?” he asked. “And what was so embarrassing for you that you’re still  _ blushing _ about it?”

 

She hated that she blushed more. “That would be telling.” She replied with false bravado.

 

He pinned her with his gaze and raised an eyebrow, “And telling me would do you harm?”

 

She almost tripped. “No! Of course not! I just, um-” she waved her hands in front of her vaguely as she tried to find the words.

 

Solas laughed and she fell silent. “Do not worry, I would never pry like that. If you are unwilling to tell me, then I know it is simply not for my ears.”

 

“It was just- something Cole had said. Everything keeps reminding me of it and - you know I really hate how easily I blush. It’s not like I have any control over it but it’s really inconvenient at the best of times and fucking horrible at the worst.”

 

“Language, Miss Rhys.”

 

She stuck her tongue out at him again. “We’re outside of class,  _ professor _ , I don’t think you have the right to tell me what to do.”

 

He conceded the point with a nod. “Nor would I want to.”

 

As they came to his car, he tilted his head and gave her a once over. “Perhaps a hat would benefit you, for your blushing problem.”

 

She laughed at that. “I’ll certainly take that into consideration.”

 

After they had gotten into his car Solas paused and put a hand on her shoulder. “I want to assure you now- you can tell me anything, absolutely anything, and I would not judge you for it. I would not hold it against you as a teacher nor as a person nor as your friend.”

 

She smiled at him softly, though she could feel her ears getting redder yet again- a hat probably would be a good investment- “Thank you. I appreciate that. Truly.” She hummed thoughtfully. 

 

The moment over, Solas shifted his car into reverse and they began their short drive home. 

 

“The same goes for me to you, I would say, but there are a few things I do not know if I could handle as stoically as you.”

 

“Such as?”

 

“If you were a stripper I would have a difficult time believing that. As well as if you secretly loved tea.”

 

Solas shuddered. “Keep your idolized leaf water away from me.”

 

“I do not idolize tea- I just like it!”

 

“I have heard you say, no less than 3 times, that you would swear by blueberry tea.”

 

Synne scrunched up her nose, caught out. “Wait! What about being a stripper.”

 

A smirk played along Solas’ lips. “Let’s just say I had my fair share of experiences in college. And I know how to work a pair of heels.”

 

Synne was dumbstruck. Luckily, she was not the one driving, or they might’ve swerved into a ditch. “I have got to  _ see _ this.” 

 

He didn’t look away from the road. “Maybe one day, if you’re very very lucky, I’ll show you.”

 

She couldn’t tell if he was opening up about his past or loosely promising a future event. Either way, she was haunted by images of his legs in fishnets the rest of the short trip home.

 

The silence in the car was less awkward than anticipated, considering she still carried a set of candid photographs of him and he was still in the accursed suit that started this whole fiasco to begin with.

 

-

 

“I am making a cake!” Merrill announced as Synne entered her apartment- she had stopped wondering how Merrill found her way into her apartment about 30 break-ins ago.

 

Synne had firm suspicions that Varric had simply given Merrill a key; she wondered if she could get one for Solas’ apartment. Not that she would ever use it without permission. He was a very private man and she imagined he would not take kindly to the intrusion. 

 

She was very fond of Merrill, though, so she did not mind the invasion of her household- and at any rate she did not have much to her name. The only embarrassing things that could be found were probably the photographs held safely in her locked phone in her pocket. 

 

Merrill looked up from her ingredients to smile cheerfully at Synne and Solas. “Hello Synne, professor!”

 

“Merrill, you can just call me Solas outside of school.” Solas admonished, setting his briefcase down on Synne’s island counter as Synne dropped her bag off in her room.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, professor!”

 

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“What kind of cake are you making?” Synne asked, hugging Merrill in greeting.

 

“Strawberry~ but I can’t make it with you hovering.” she replied, shooing Synne away.

 

She sat down on her couch, happy that two of her favorite people were here with her.

 

Solas shrugged off his suit jacket and folded it neatly on the island’s stool.

 

Synne suddenly couldn’t breathe for how well his shirt was fitted to his body.

 

“Oh! You’ve gone as red as a tomato, Synne! I should make a salad to go with you.” Merrill noted.

 

Solas tilted his head at Synne curiously, but she just shook her head frantically and buried her face in her hands.

 

“Don’t look at me. Sorry, just don’t. I’m having a moment here. I promise I will be fine in a minute.” She peeked out from being her fingers to see both of them staring at her. “You guys are the worst.”

 

“What’s wrong? Is it the whatever Cole had told you, again?”

 

Synne shook her head again. “No! It’s nothing. Nothing at all.”

 

“Perhaps you would be better off sharing it if it continues to plague your thoughts?” Solas suggested.

 

“Noooope. No way, mister. I see what you’re trying to do there. I’m not telling. And it’s not that.” She replied wagging a finger at him.

 

“What is it, then?”

 

“I’m not telling, I told you!”

 

“You said no such thing. Simply that it is not what Cole had told you.”

 

“Now you’re just being facetious.”

 

Neither noticed Merrill looking between the two in recognition.

 

“Professor Solas!’ She said suddenly.

 

He turned his attention to her just in time to be hit square in the chest by the milk she had been measuring.

 

Everyone froze.

 

Then suddenly there was a whirlwind of movement- Merrill apologizing profusely and convincing him out of his shirt and Synne leaping up to grab a towel to wipe up the milk that had splashed everywhere

 

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” Merrill continued apologizing. “I was going to do laundry after this anyways so I’ll just go do that now and I’ll get your shirt back to you nice and clean like new.” She bustled out of the apartment quickly, still apologizing.

 

Solas was still mildly stunned by what had happened but came back to himself as the door slammed shut behind Merrill.

 

Synne was on the floor wiping up the milk that had splattered there.

 

Solas reached down to her. “Can I-?”

 

She put her hand in his and he pulled her up.

 

“I meant the towel” he laughed.

 

“Right! Of course you did.” Synne turned bright red again, and began patting the milk off his skin, as well. She refused to look up at him but was keenly aware of whose skin she was cleaning.

 

“Synne…” Solas put a hand over the towel and drew it away, stepping towards her to back her up to the counter.

 

She still refused to look up. “Yep, that’s me.” she choked out, unsure of what to do with her hands now that he had taken her towel and they were just sort of hovering over his chest.

 

He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her and she squeaked.

 

“Fen’harel take me,” she muttered, trying to inch further back but stopped by the counter.

 

“Synne.” he admonished.

 

“Fine, ok, yes. Hi, I’m Synne. I might be very aesthetically attracted to you. You’ve been wearing a beautiful suit all day and now- now you are literally half naked and pinning me to my counter and I might be having a hard time handling this, alright?” She asked, peeking up at his face.

 

He was smiling ruefully at her. “May I?” he asked, making eye contact with her.

 

She didn’t know what he was asking but she nodded anyways, certain that whatever it was she would not mind.

 

He cupped her face and drew her in for a very chaste kiss.

 

She blinked in surprise, though in retrospect she realized she shouldn’t have been. “Oh.” She let her hands drop to rest on his chest, then immediately pulled back as she realized she was touching his bare skin. She couldn’t find a good place to look and dropped her hands to her sides, pressing her hands flat against the counter so it wouldn’t happen again.

 

He kissed her again. “You’re adorable.” he remarked, pinching her left ear.

 

She huffed. “I’m not normally like this, I want you to be very aware of that. Maybe I  _ am  _ sick. I don’t know what’s gotten into me today.”

 

To his credit, he did not take the obvious set up, though Synne still cringed when she realized that he could have. Instead, he looped his arms around her waist and drew her closer. Finding an ounce of her normal confidence, she reached up to his shoulder and pulled him down to her, initiating the kiss this time.

 

As they pressed together, she mused that he must work out at least occasionally to be so fit. And he had such lovely shoulders. But that wasn’t important- right now kissing was important.

 

And so when Merrill made it back to Synne’s apartment, she found them idly making out against one of the counters.

 

“Oh my.” 

 

They startled apart and looked at her. 

 

“Oh! I’m sorry, Synne, Professor! I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She quickly closed the door again and made herself scarce.

 

Solas swore under his breath and pulled away.

 

“What is it?” Synne asked, confused.

 

“I- cannot do this. You are my student. I was foolish to allow this to happen, you have my apologies.” he told her, grabbing his suit jacket and briefcase from the island counter. “I must go re-evaluate my life choices. Again, I am sorry. I did not intend to lead you on in this way.” he told her, slipping out of her apartment without allowing her to speak.

 

-

 

Synne only spent about half an hour curled up on her couch, clutching a throw pillow and sulking.

 

After, she got her ass up and finished preparing the cake Merrill had been in the process of making. She didn’t want the food to go to waste, and she figured she could probably lure Merrill back into her apartment with it for some serious heart-to-heart time. 

 

The problem was her emotions were all muddled. She had never had to confront her own emotions about attraction to others, or the lack thereof, but she didn’t think she could clear her head on it without talking things out with someone. Or at least ranting a little bit about it.

 

Ranting was good. She liked reasoning things out, out loud.

 

She stuck the cake in her oven and set an alarm on her phone for the instructed time allotted for baking, stuck all the dirty tools used in her dishwasher, then went to wash her face and change her clothes. Being cleaner and slightly more comfortable made her feel immensely better and more focused.

 

She made her way out of her apartment and up the stairwell. She knew she was being irresponsible; knew from an early age what disasters came when an oven was left unattended. But she felt reasonably confident that it would not take her a particularly long amount of time to find Merrill, even if the alarm would ring shortly.

 

Merrill was not in her apartment. Or if she was, she was not answering the door. Well, not answering Synne’s calls into the seemingly empty apartment, as her door was perpetually unlocked and usually held ajar. The windows were usually wide open. as well. Merrill said it made her feel closer to the world, though Synne had also seen her exit through said windows occasionally when she wasn’t feeling up to stairs. She had yet to see Merrill scale the three floors to get up to her apartment from the outside of the building but if Varric could be believed, she did that occasionally, as well.

 

Synne wondered if the gossip mill of the apartments had gotten wind of Solas and her kissing. 

 

Merrill had seen and she was close friends with Varric, after all. They all were. And between him and Sera, you could barely throw a ball without hitting some mildly exaggerated rumor that ended up being true.

 

She sighed; might as well go and see if Varric knew already, and maybe head off the spread of information if she could.

 

She had almost made it up the stairs to Varric’s penthouse apartment when she heard muffled sobbing. She briefly saw Merrill curled up over her knees on the landing of Varric’s door and Varric patting her shoulder before she recoiled back down the stairs slightly. She didn’t want to interrupt. She also did not want to eavesdrop but they were already talking. She carefully scootched herself down another stair, glad she hadn’t opted to wear shoes for this endeavour.

 

“Daisy, you’re going to have to tell me what happened to get you so upset, eventually. You’ve all but cried yourself out, out here.”

 

“Varric, what am I going to do?... They… and I  _ helped _ .” She sounded absolutely distraught. 

 

“Who are ‘they’?”

 

“I should be happy for them- but I’m not. I wanted… but I shouldn’t have. I knew it would never work out. Varric, why does it hurt so much?”

 

“I don’t know. Sometimes when things are unexpected your emotions feel like a punch in the guts.”

 

Synne covered her eyes with her hands. She wasn’t stupid. Unless something had happened in the very short interim between last seeing Merrill, this was at least partially her fault. It wasn’t very clear  _ what _ was upsetting Merrill, though.

 

“I am a horrible person.” Merrill concluded.

 

“You, Daisy? Can’t be. It’s not possible.”

 

“I-”

 

Suddenly Synne’s phone alarm went off. Loudly.

 

“Who’s there?” She heard Varric ask.

 

Sheepishly, Synne stood up. turned off the alarm, and made her way up the stairs. “Hi. Um. I didn’t mean to listen in but I did and I’m sorry.”

 

Merrill was looking at her with wide watery eyes, and Varric seemed a bit upset with her, probably for the eavesdropping.

 

“Look, this is at least partially my fault, right Merrill? I upset you?” Synne asked, holding her hands up in surrender.

 

“No!” Merrill exclaimed wiping her face quickly. “It’s my fault, you were just… just…”

 

“Kissing Solas?”

 

Varric’s eyes widened in understanding, and his miffed gaze turned into a glare. “Now why would you go and do that.”

 

“It’s kind of a long story. But! There’s a strawberry cake that’s done downstairs, and I think we should go talk about what’s upsetting you Merrill.” She replied, gesturing to the phone in her hand.

 

“I’m… not upset.” Merrill tried, unconvincingly.

 

Varric sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. “You should go with her. Get things off your chest.” he told her, meaningfully.

 

Synne offered her hand to Merrill. “Come with me? Please?”

 

Merrill looked between the two of them and nodded. She took a deep breath, collected her courage, and took Synne’s hand.

 

Synne pulled her up and smiled. “Um, Varric. If you wouldn’t mind, can you keep this to yourself for a bit?” She asked, a little self-conscious under his scrutiny. “I’m trying to work some things out.”

 

Varric nodded. “Fine. But if she comes back crying I’m going to have to grievously injure you.”

 

“Varric.” Merrill admonished.

 

“I’d let you.” Synne told him, solemnly. 

 

Then she turned to Merrill. “C’mon, there’s cake to be had!” She laced their fingers together and they began their descent back to her apartment.

 

-

 

The cake was cooling on the counter, and Merrill was sitting on her couch clutching a cup of tea and avoiding her gaze.

 

Synne sat down facing her, crossed legged and probably closer than Merrill would’ve liked. She poked her leg with her big toe then wiggled the rest of them against it when Merrill looked up. “So…?”

 

“I was going to court you.” Merrill told her, reluctantly. 

 

“Oh.” She said softly, and placed a comforting hand on Merrill’s arm. “I-”

 

“We had been spending a lot of time together and I thought you really liked me. And I really like  _ you _ . I was making the cake today to ask if you would be open to the idea. But then you were with Solas and making eyes at him and I just wanted you to be  _ happy _ so I helped but I didn’t expect you to… not so quickly. I thought maybe I’d have time still to ask.” The words rushed out, unbidden. 

 

Synne smiled softly. “Yes.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Yes, you can court me. If you still want to- I’m assuming you still want to.”

 

Merrill blinked. “But you and Solas-”

 

“I know.” Synne scratched the back of her head, trying to figure out how to explain. “Merrill, you know I’m panromantic, right? I’ve told you that before?”

 

Merrill nodded. “You said it didn’t matter what gender the person you date is.”

 

“I’m also polyamorous.”

 

Merrill tilted her head.

 

“I don’t feel that a relationship should be limited to two people. I have a lot of space in my heart to love people, yanno? Like all of you here- you’re all my friends and I love each and every one of you in very different but equal ways. But I think I could love more than one person in a romantic relationship, too.”

 

Merrill nodded slowly. “If I courted you would that mean I’d have to like Solas, too?”

 

“No! I’m mean I’d like you to at least get along with him, yanno, not just because I am attracted to him romantically but also because he’s our friend. But you wouldn’t have to date him.”

 

“Oh good.” Merrill exhaled the breath she seemed to have been holding. “I don’t think I could date a professor. And Solas, well, he’s a bit stuffy, isn’t he?”

 

“Yeah.” Synne laughed. “Just a little.”

 

“What if I said I don’t want you to date him?” Merrill asked, not making eye contact. “What if I got too jealous?”

 

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” She shrugged. “If we were already dating, that is Solas and I and you and I, then I would probably have a rough time dealing with it. But I understand it’s easy to get jealous when someone you love loves someone else. We might end up breaking up, but which we I’m not sure because I really don’t want to pick between the two of you. I have feelings for both of you but they are not the same and my feelings for you would not limit my feelings for him or vice versa.” She fidgeted with the bandage on her finger. “If you were saying it right now, I would have to take some time before I could say yes to you courting me, officially. I’d have to talk to him about it, and I’d have to think my feelings through.” She paused. “You are though, aren’t you?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Jealous. Of my feelings for him.”

 

Merrill nodded. “A little. No,” she sighed, “a lot. I do understand what you are saying, though. I  _ am _ happy you have feelings for me, too.” she replied. “It’s just a lot to think about.”

 

“On the bright side, Solas has rejected me for the time being.”

 

Merrill blinked, her expression changing to bafflement. “What happened? When I last saw you two you were, well...”

 

“When you came in you called him professor. He remembered that he technically holds power over me in that aspect and what we were doing is at least frowned upon, I think. I’m not sure, I’ve never had to look up ‘can I kiss my teacher’ in a rule book before. Well. ‘Can my teacher kiss me?’ To be honest… I’m not too sure about this kissing thing yet. That was the first time.” She could feel her ears going red again.

 

“I- I could help you practice.” Merrill suggested, almost sloshing her tea down her front as she shifted to mirror Synne on the couch.

 

Synne laughed. “I certainly hope so.”

 

Merrill reached up and touched the tip of Synne’s ear. “You’re so cute when you blush.” She remarked.

 

Synne smiled, ruefully. “I can’t seem to stop, today.” She gently tugged the tea from Merrill’s grasp and set it on the floor. “Now about that practice,” she said, making eye contact with Merrill, “May I?”

 

Merrill nodded and they closed the gap between them.

 

Synne noted that both Merrill and Solas were very insistent once they got going, and wondered if that was a sexual person thing. In Solas’ case, at least, she knew she could attribute some of that to his personality- he liked to be in control. Merrill, on the other hand was more enthusiastic than controlling. Maybe Synne would grow to like this kissing thing after all.

 

And then her phone alarm rang again.

 

They broke apart and Synne could help but laugh, resting her head on Merrill’s shoulder. 

 

“What is that alarm for?” Merrill asked, kissing the tip of Synne’s ear.

 

“The cake should be cool enough to put icing on now.” she replied into Merrill’s shoulder, still shaking with laughter.

 

Merrill nudged Synne with the shoulder she was resting her head on.

 

As Synne lifted her head Merrill drew her up and kissed her gently. 

 

“I made a special glaze with strawberries in it for the cake.” She said, pulling herself off the couch and scooping up her tea. “I hope you like it, it was my grandmother’s recipe.”

 

“I’m sure I’ll love it.” Synne replied, also getting up off the couch. She went to fetch a couple spoons as Merrill rifled through her fridge to get the bowl of glaze. 

 

-

 

Synne still needed to talk to Solas, so after they finished icing the cake Merrill went to fetch her finished laundry- including Solas’ shirt- and Synne gathered utensils after putting the cake in a tupperware bin. They reconvened outside his apartment. 

 

Merrill shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip. “I think you should be out of view at first- I have an idea.”

 

Synne shrugged and moved away from the door a few steps so she would be out of Solas’ sight.

 

Merrill composed herself and knocked loudly on the door. “Professor!” She called, cheerfully.

 

There was a short pause then the door opened a crack. “Merrill, I am currently not-”

 

“I brought your shirt back. I might have gotten distracted from doing laundry. I am sorry.” Merrill said intently, shifting closer and pushing the shirt at the door.

 

Solas sighed, opening the door further. “Thank you, Merrill. I will see you in class.” he said dismissively, making to close the door.

 

Unfortunately, Merrill had placed one of her bare feet between the door and the frame; she yelped as he tried to close the door on it.

 

Startled, Solas looked down at her injured foot.

 

Merrill took his distraction as an opportunity to use her foot to shove the door open and hustled him backwards. “It takes more than a door to hurt my foot, professor.” She remarked, gesturing to Synne to follow her in.

 

Solas looked very disgruntled, but sighed and allowed the two girls to usher him further back into the room. “Is this an ambush?”

 

“Ambush is such a violent term.” Synne remarked. “We simply wanted to  _ talk _ .” She smiled saccharinely. 

 

“We brought cake!” Merrill added.

 

Solas had his arms crossed as he looked at the pair of them. “The deception was wholly unnecessary. And I do not wish to talk; come back another day.”

 

Synne set the cake and bag of utensils on his counter, then made herself at home on his desk chair, feeling slightly giddy at a successful infiltration. “You leaving earlier was “ _ wholly unnecessary _ ,” as well, and yet here we are. Sit down, we  _ will _ talk.”

 

Merrill perched herself on one of his bar stools and popped open the tupperware to get to the cake. 

 

Solas sat down on the couch facing Synne, placing his shirt on the cushion next to him.

 

“Fine. Talk yourself hoarse. I will stand by my decision. Kissing you was a mistake.”

 

Hearing it out loud punched an invisible little hole in her chest, but she did not allow the pain to control her. She knew this would be an uphill battle when he had left; she would not let him get the better of her. 

 

“Why did you kiss me?” She asked, bluntly. “If you were so set on following whatever rules you’re stuck on, why lead me on like that?”

 

“It was unintentional. I was blindsided by you. I was distracted by your beauty and personality. You were the cruel temptress leading me astray- is that what you want to hear?” he asked. “It was a mistake.” he repeated, shaking his head. “It is true that I find you attractive. It is true that your personality shines like a star in my eyes. But I had no intention of initiating a relationship with you. Perhaps before, when we were simply friends and lived across from each other, but after you told me you would be taking my class I knew it would not- could not happen.” He looked down as he admitted, “You did distract me. I allowed myself to be too comfortable around you. As I always have, before this. I did not intend to kiss you. It should not have happened.”

 

“But it did.”

 

He nodded. “But it did. And I take full responsibility. It was certainly an error on my part.”

 

“I don’t think so.” Synne replied. “I think your error was leaving.”

 

“You would.”

 

Synne sighed. “What was your intent, when you kissed me? I find it hard to believe you would simply kiss me and leave it at that.”

 

Solas nodded. “I got ahead of myself, wishing that you would be mine.”

 

Synne blushed again, but he politely ignored it. “So what  _ is _ the school policy on student- teacher relationships?”

 

Solas appeared reluctant to say. “It is heavily frowned upon.”

 

“Heavily frowned upon is not a ‘do not do this’ rule.” Synne noted.

 

“No, it is not.”

 

“And yet you still say that kissing was a mistake. Do you have personal qualms about initiating a relationship with me?”

 

If he were the type, he might’ve fidgeted under Synne’s gaze. “You are very young.”

 

“I’m 25!”

 

“That is still a 7 year difference. You would do much better with someone your age. Such as young Merrill, here, who has been vying for your affections for quite a while.”

 

If they had not had their discussion previously, Synne would fear Merrill would crack Solas’ stupid egg head into an omelette. But as it was, she simply looked up from her forkful of cake and smiled happily at Synne.

 

Synne smiled back then pinned Solas with her gaze again. “We’ve already had that discussion, thank you very much. That does not change anything between you and I.”

 

“And what is it that you seem to think is between you and I?”

 

Synne scoffed. “You already admitted to finding me attractive you dolt. And I find you very aesthetically attractive, as I’ve already told you. And for some reason I find your stupid uppity nerdy personality appealing.”

 

Solas raised an eyebrow.

 

Synne sighed. “Truly. You may be difficult and bitter and downright cruel when you want to, but I am still trying to salvage our relationship because you are also one of the most kindhearted, intelligent, honest people I have ever met.”

 

Solas looked like he had been struck. He could not meet her eyes as he asked in what seemed to be a last-ditch attempt, “What about Merrill?”

 

“I’m polyamourous.”

 

“Do you truly think that will end well for any of us?”

 

Synne grinned. “Nope. I do not  _ intend _ for it to end.”

 

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Finally- “We must maintain a work relationship at school.” he conceded.

 

Synne quickly got up from her chair and hugged him. “Of course, of course.”

 

“And I cannot have you two badgering me constantly when I have work to do.” he continued to deaf ears.

 

As he continued to mutter rules, Synne dragged him up and over to the counter, lacing their fingers together.

 

She kissed Merrill on the cheek and grabbed a fork; she would have her cake and eat it, too.

 

And possibly invest in a hat for her ears.

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find more Synne at: http://acindra.tumblr.com/tagged/cinquisitor  
> And you can contact me at acindra@live.com
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the fic!


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